text: Another important aspect of Fatta-Kassinos’ work is the investigation of antibiotic resistance, specifically the risks it poses and the most effective ways to combat it. In a 2015 joint study addressing the prevention of environmental contamination with antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes, she reported the existing knowledge gaps, and identified policy, and management options. Given the fact that conventional treatment facilities lack the design to tackle antibiotics, her research characterized the removal efficiency of antibiotics from wastewater with different treatment processes, such as advanced treatment technologies and disinfection. While indicating urban wastewater treatment plants (UWTPs) as one of the primary sources of antibiotics' release in the environment, she argued how the existence of antibiotics can lead to the selection of antibiotic resistance genes as well as antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB). In related research, she also determined that the removal efficiency of the wastewater treatment processes, e.g., biological and chemical processes is governed by the physiological properties of the antibiotics, and the operating conditions of the treatment processes. Much of her work has evaluated the fate of ARB and ARGs in UWTPs via different treatment processes, and focused on the significance of incorporating alternative techniques, like membrane processes and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), before the final disposal in the environment in order to reduce the risks for human health and the environment.
  More recently, Fatta-Kassinos coordinated the ANSWER (ANtibioticS and mobile resistance elements in WastEwater Reuse applications: risks and innovative solutions) Project. In addition, her work, Wastewater Reuse and Current Challenges was also acknowledged in the European Commission's technical report on the development of a legislative instrument for water reuse in agricultural irrigation and aquifer recharge at EU level.
  Fatta-Kassinos has performed a set of bioassays to evaluate the biological potency of treated urban wastewater. She suggested the advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) as a successful tool for the removal of organic and inorganic compounds from the urban water cycle. Having analyzed the issues associated with the discharge of treated wastewater in the environment for reuse, her work also assessed how the xenobiotic pollutants are taken up by the plants or accumulate in the soil. Afterwards, considering that reusable wastewater must be free of antibiotic compounds, she examined the application of a solar-based AOP for the antibiotic degradation, highlighted that first-order kinetics was followed, and confirmed that Ofloxacin and trimethoprim were entirely degraded. Among other research topics, her work has addressed the implications of reclaimed wastewater (RWW) use for irrigation and the development of analytical methods for tracking pharmaceutical residues in water bodies.